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This blog is a forum for disseminating the science, culture, and life of the Broad Institute. Reflecting the unique, collaborative community that is the Broad, you have the opportunity to hear from – and respond to – a variety of contributors. Click here to read our Community Guidelines.

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Ten years ago today, a groundbreaking paper was published in the journal Nature. It was a first full glimpse of our genetic blueprint, our DNA, made possible in part through the efforts of scientists at the Whitehead Institute Center for Genome Research (which later became part of the Broad).

Today, we commemorate this historic achievement and the scientific knowledge it has made possible.

This week’s issue of the journal Nature celebrates a milestone in the history of biomedical research: the publication of the first draft of the human genome sequence. Ten years ago this week, two papers, one in Nature and one in Science, together offered the first glimpse of the genetic instructions written within our DNA.

As the famous first words of Star Trek suggest, space is often considered the “final frontier” — a vast region beyond our tiny world that is largely unknown and yet to be explored. But for some Broad scientists, that distinction goes to a decidedly different area: chemical space.

Nearly every week, new genomes are welcomed into the vast annals of modern science. Indeed, genomic research is moving at an ever-increasing pace, as the machines that decode — or “sequence” — DNA churn out data faster and more cheaply than ever before.

If you are a regular visitor to the Broad’s website, you may have noticed that things look a little different.

Today, we launch an enhanced site with a new look and feel that captures the unique spirit of the institute. In addition, we’ve tweaked the navigation to help folks — scientists and non-scientists alike — find the information they are seeking. What you see now is the fruit of that months-long effort.

Welcome to the new BroadMinded blog, a forum for disseminating the science, culture, and life of the Broad Institute.

This blog is a place for interactive learning about the science underway here at the Broad Institute. Our research spans an astonishing breadth and depth, from decoding the genetic blueprint of a fungus that’s decimating the world’s frog populations to screening thousands of chemicals in the hope of uncovering one that could become a drug to treat depression.